Blog

Jody Perewitz
has been around motorcycles all her life and is one of the most
recognized women in the motorcycle industry and community today. Jody
paved her own way into history (and the record books) by becoming the
first woman ever to ride an American V-Twin powered motorcycle at over
200 MPH. She currently holds 17 Land Speed records, one of which is a
World Record, and has earned four AMA number one plates.

When
not blasting down the Bonneville Salt Flats, or melting asphalt at
airstrips across America, Jody handles the marketing and day-to-day
activities at Perewitz Cycle Fab
in Halifax, Massachusetts, where she works side-by-side with her
father, award-winning custom bike building legend Dave Perewitz. Not
only is Dave teaching her about the business but also how to paint. The
Perewitz name is world renown in the custom paint world for producing
some of the most sought-after customs to hit the streets across the
globe.

We decided to catch up with Jody following the completion of the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball,
a world-famous transcontinental 3,875-mile endurance run for vintage
motorcycles. Perewitz piloted "Marjorie," her beautiful 1926
Harley-Davidson JD model she custom-painted herself, all the way to the
finish and is now one of only three females to complete all the miles in
the Cannonball.

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BikeMaster: Jody, tell us about how the idea came about to compete in the
Motorcycle Cannonball. Was it something you’ve thought about for some
time?

Jody Perewitz: My friend Cris Simmons
had told me about this amazing journey she’s been on. She put a bug in
my ear and got my wheels turning. I thought, ‘someday I will compete in
the Cannonball!’ I added it to my bucket list many years ago and was
fortunate enough to make it all happen in the last year.

The higher elevations in the west meant some cold days in the saddle for Cannonball participants.

BM: We were lucky enough to follow your journey in the Cannonball
on social media and see your daily updates. From what we saw it looked
like an epic journey with a great group of fellow motorcyclists. Tell us
about some of the highlights of the event.

JP:
The ride and people were epic! We went from the hot (95 degrees)
cornfields of Iowa and South Dakota to the cold (38 degrees) rainy/snowy
mountains of Montana. Glacier National Park was my favorite part of the
ride. It was as if I was in a painting. The scenery was just
breathtaking. It made all those boring cornfields worth it. I didn’t
even notice that was the coldest day!

Another highlight is all
the new friends I made. The first day I was riding by myself, and I
realized I wasn’t going the right way. I saw another Cannonballer ahead
of me, so I caught up to him and pulled beside him at a stop light. I
said I think I’m lost do you know where you’re going? He said no but
follow me. So, I did. Sure enough, we made it! I introduced myself, and
we instantly became friends.

BM:Few people ever ride a
motorcycle at over 100 MPH, let alone at over 200 MPH, yet you have.
That’s one amazing feat! What did it feel like to ride a motorcycle at
that speed? And what motivated you to seek out the goal of breaking the
200 MPH barrier?

JP: What did it feel like
to ride over 200 mph is the million-dollar question. People ask me this
all the time. It feels like ‘hold on with everything you got, stay
tucked, and still twist the throttle.’ It’s almost as if you’re in a
bubble, the world kind of gets quiet, and it’s you and your machine.

The
amazing thing about land speed racing at Bonneville Salt Flats is that
you must maintain your speed. It’s not just a hit the one fast speed,
and you’re done. You have to maintain your speed for a mile, and then
it’s averaged with your entering and exiting speed. Then after you do it
once you reverse direction and do it again!

My motivation was
that no female had gone over 200 mph on an American motorcycle. Once I
learned of this, I wanted to be the first. No matter what, you can’t
replace the first. I’m fortunate to have great people beside me to help
me achieve my goals.

Crossing the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Montana.

BM:It seems a bit ironic that
with 17 land speed records you decided to take on a challenge quite the
opposite, the Motorcycle Cannonball, where consistency, endurance, and
mechanical aptitude play a significant role in finishing. Did you have a
completely different mindset going into Cannonball?

JP: I have the same mindset in the sense of I will push myself and do
whatever I need to do to accomplish my goal. I have always had a mindset
with anything I do, I’ll do it, it’s just a matter of time. I’m a firm
believer that you must believe in yourself first, and then your goals
will happen.

But the Cannonball was very different! I went from
315+ horsepower to nine horsepower. I have a love of two wheels and to
do this just broadened my horizon in the motorcycle world. I almost had
to be more prepared for Cannonball because it was just myself and
my motorcycle all day long. Whereas land speed racing is me and my
motorcycle but only for minutes at a time. I truly enjoyed learning
about the Harley JD that I rode on the Cannonball as well as old bikes
in general. I feel as though the more knowledge I have with anything,
the better and I’m fortunate enough to have some great teachers!

BM:What was your favorite moment during the Cannonball?

JP: Not to sound cliché but crossing the finish line! That last day was
like, ‘holy cow, I just rode across the United States by myself on a
1926 Harley-Davidson!’ I still don’t think it’s set in. WE DID IT!

BM:The most surprising thing you learned or experienced during the Cannonball?

JP: Riding in the rain isn’t so bad… as long as you have the right gear!

One
of the cool experiences that I never thought about was the gas stops.
There would be no less than 25-30 of us at a gas station at one time. We
would share pumps, talk about sightings, share tools, advice, and
snacks! It was a very neat camaraderie. Because we were all pressed for
time that would most likely be the only time we would stop.

I
never expected this experience to be as epic as it was! I knew it would
be really cool but to see the country from two old wheels with people
you just met and instantly became friends with all in a two-week time
frame. Yes, it was tiring getting up on the 10th day at 6:00 am to be
able to leave by 7:30 am and then not getting back until 5:00 pm was a
lot, but it seemed everyone kept each other going. I didn’t even notice I
was tired until my head hit the pillow!

Motorcycle Cannonball camaraderie.

BM:Speed
seems to be something that’s innate in you, would you say your need for
speed is something you inherited from your father and growing up around
motorcycles?

JP: No, I wouldn’t say speed
was something I inherited. I think I inherited something better than
speed: passion. I got that passion for two wheels from my dad. I
wouldn’t say he is fast. (Not that he is slow either!) I think speed is
just something I’m good at and I’ve been lucky enough to pursue it!

BM:Speaking
of your father, he is a legend in his own right, a master painter and
fabricator and he’s been teaching you how to paint motorcycles. Tell us
about that and what it was like to paint your own motorcycle "Marjorie"
for the Cannonball.

JP: I wanted Marjorie
to be bright. When people asked which bike I was riding, I wanted them
to be able to say, ‘oh yes, I know that bike.’ I didn’t want to blend
in. With that in mind, I thought ‘how better to stick out than with some
metal flake!’ Tons of people on the ride said, ‘Oh did your dad paint
your bike?’ ‘No, I did.’ I wanted to keep the paint scheme classic but
give it a Perewitz flare.

I have a great teacher and resources. Learning to paint has seemed to be second nature. I guess watching my dad paint my whole life I picked up a few things. I enjoy being able to get creative with colors and techniques.

BM:You hold multiple land speed records, you just finished
the Motorcycle Cannonball, and you’ve learned how to custom paint
motorcycles. What’s next for Jody Perewitz? Do you have some new goals
you’ve set your sights on in the future?

JP: New goals... hmmm, well I constantly like to challenge myself. I’m also racing vintage circle track. I sure would love to WIN one of those races! Also, I’m hoping to be able to do the 2020 Cannonball and have a chance to win (I’ll have to ride an older bike! Maybe a single cylinder.).

Jody's custom-painted1926 Harley-Davidson JD, "Marjorie."

BM:What is your favorite motorcycle you’ve ever owned or ridden?

JP:
Marjorie for sure! I’ve never spent so much consistent seat time on a
motorcycle, never mind a 92-year-young motorcycle. She moved along like a
champ! We created a bond over the last couple of months that no bike
can replace. I actually hugged her when we got to the finish line.

I
also have a neat bond with 264 (my land bike) because she’s given me
the fastest ride so far! That bike goes on my “favorite” list too.

BM:Favorite place on earth?

JP: This is a tough one... I’ve traveled all over the world. Though, my favorite place is home!

Mission accomplished!

BM:The top three on your bucket list are?

JP: Travel to all 50 states (I only have four left!). Ride the Wall of Death. Become the fastest female EVER!

BM: Thanks for doing this interview with us, Jody! Any last words of inspiration or people you would like to thank?

JP: I would absolutely like to thank everyone who has helped me, supported
me, sponsored me, even cheered me on with all the cool things I’m lucky
enough to do! I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by some wicked-cool
people.

Jody Perewitz used BikeMaster products on her
way to her finish at the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball. She finished 32nd
Overall out of the 107 starters and 85 finishers.

The Crow River Thunder Riding Club held a benefit ride this year to help
Dawson Wostrel. Dawson is a 10-year old boy full of life and paying it
forward in his own right as the creator of "Dawson's blessings bag" that supports the Ronald McDonald House. In January he had an unexplained seizure
that left him out of school and large medical bills while doctors try to
figure out what was making him so sick. Dawson was diagnosed with
epilepsy.

The Crow River Thunder Riding Club benefit was able to feed over 250 people, held a silent auction, had music, and raffled off some BikeMaster products. At their last club meeting, the club was able to present Dawson with a check for $17,110.00 that they were able to raise during the benefit ride.

Way to go, Crow River Thunder Riding Club for helping Dawson in his time of need!

The Ohio Moto Guzzi National Owner’s Club hosted their annual Buckeye Rally, and it was a great one! The attendees were treated with some great food and were able to travel around to check out the interesting sites in the Zanesville area.

BikeMaster was excited to offer some prizes for the raffle:

A memorial was held in honor of a friend of the rally, Steve, who passed away last November. This beautiful butterfly hung around all weekend, causing all who saw it to think of their friend who was maybe enjoying one last rally with them.

Riders came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, Indiana, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, and Kentucky, to enjoy stories of adventure on the road and a whole lot of laughter.

With our Kawasaki H1 on the lift, it was time to get to work. Disassembly goes quickly, and it helps to take photos and mark parts as they are removed. The body tins (and yes, they are metal on a 1973) come off easy and we immediately feel a sense of accomplishment.

We wanted to find a cool bike that would bring back great memories—and maybe even a few fears. The bike that came to mind does both: the Kawasaki H1 500 triple. The H1 was indeed a giant killer back in the day, and its reputation as a “flexi-flyer” preceded its notorious three-cylinder two-stroke engine.

We saved the fuel tank restoration for last. If you are planning to visit the Tucker Rocky/ Biker’s Choice Dealer and Brand Expo February 8th and 9th in Frisco Texas, please stop by the BikeMaster booth and check out our cool little Suzuki RM-100.

BikeMaster, known for their robust and competitively priced line of aftermarket motorcycle parts and accessories, is pleased to announce the addition of two new inner tube styles to their offroad motorcycle product lineup: Heavy-Duty Moto Tubes and Heavy-Duty Enduro Tubes.

The Ohio Moto Guzzi National Owner’s Club hosted their annual Buckeye Rally, and it was a great...

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